Perez feels bad for himself because 'the medium tyre was the right choice'

After two failed experiments with Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon alongside Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing has enlisted the services of Sergio Perez. The Mexican is expected to ensure the Dutchman is not outnumbered in races by driving and qualifying close to Mercedes.

During the first qualifying session of the year, that hasn't worked out yet, as Sergio Perez has to start from the eleventh starting spot. "I didn't expect that from my side and of course it's not an ideal start, but we are making progress and I made a good step between VT3 and qualifying. It wasn't enough. It was definitely the right choice to drive on mediums in Q2, but unfortunately it didn't pay off and I just didn't deliver the lap I should have," explained the Mexican in the Team Review after qualifying.

All mistakes are punished

The field is so close together in 2021 that every little mistake is punished, as Perez noticed right away. "I went wide at Turn 13 and lost a few tenths of a second. The field is so tight that it knocked me out of Q3. It's a shame, because the extra miles and the comparison with Max would have helped me with my progress. Tomorrow is however another day and anything can happen at this track, so hopefully we can recover well," Perez concluded.